Author: Khondkarian Raffi

ARMENIA TO RETHINK MEMBERSHIP IF OSCE ABANDONS CONSENSUS RULE
Arminfo
12 Jul 04
YEREVAN
If the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) abandons the consensus
decision-making rule, this may result in the dictate of super powers
in the organization, which will not be in Armenia’s national
interests, the deputy speaker of the Armenian National Assembly (and
member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun), Vaan
Ovanesyan, told a press conference today.
The OSCE PA’s role in global processes is gradually diminishing, he
said. “The OSCE’s main mission – to ensure security – is now playing
a secondary role in the activities of this organization. The
organization has started to deal with issues which are, in principle,
outside its remit,” Ovanesyan said.
Organizations such as the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of
Europe and NATO are already making claims to the OSCE PA’s role, he
said. “It is natural that high-ranking officials in the OSCE PA, who
have high wages, are doing their best to intensify the organization’s
role in international processes. This is the reason behind the
proposal in the OSCE PA to abandon the principle of consensus
decision-making,” Ovanesyan said.
If the OSCE PA’s new rules are unacceptable to Armenia, the country
will be entitled to suspend its membership of the organization, he
said.

–Boundary_(ID_RGWF8MdqbMPbvTwEHeN1+g)
Content-typ e: message/rfc822
From: Ara Dabandjian
Subject: Burbank: Artist Anahid Boghosian works at Wax Poetic Salon
Artist Anahid Boghosian works at Wax Poetic Salon
July 12, 2004
Contact: Teni Melidonian
626.644.7247
[email protected]
Wax Poetic Salon hosts:
PASSAGES
Featuring original works by Anahid Boghosian
Exhibition Dates – June 25 through August 20, 2004
Wax Poetic Salon – 3208 West Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, Ca
Los Angeles, CA (June 18) – Wax Poetic Salon and art gallery is proud
to present Passages, an exhibit featuring original works by a Los
Angeles artist who has recently been asked to shoe at the L.A county
municipal Gallery on july 18, 2004
Passages highlights the path of life through its movements from one
place to another, making transitions, taking journeys, are all
passages. `There are many paths to take, doors to walk through, and
windows to open. It is our choices that dictate our destiny and our
decision not to that keeps us still,’ says Boghosian.
Passages marks Boghosian’s fourth successful exhibit of 2004. Boghosian
continues to discover and push the boundaries of art by exploring
varying concepts, materials, and views thus, creating a truly unique
vision.
Passages will be on display from Friday, June 25 through Friday,
August 20, 2004. Wax Poetic is a New York style salon, spa and art
gallery. For general information about the exhibit, please call Wax
Poetic Salon at 818.843.9496 or visit
For more information, please contact Teni Melidonian.
–Boundary_(ID_RGWF8MdqbMPbvTwEHeN1+g)–

Iran appoints new ambassador to Armenia
IRNA web site, Tehran
7 Jul 04
TEHRAN
President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami appointed Ali Reza Haqiqian as the
new Iranian ambassador to the Republic of Armenia, the Information and
Press Department of the Foreign Ministry announced here on Tuesday 6
July .
The appointment was made upon a proposal by Foreign Minister Kamal
Kharrazi. Haqiqian had previously served as a Foreign Ministry
director-general as well as Iranian charge d’affaires to Baghdad.

Armenia, Russia to confront Karabakh conflict in Moscow talks – spokesman
ITAR-TASS news agency
3 Jul 04
MOSCOW
The Nagorgyy Karabakh problem will be one of the main subjects of the
talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, Aleksandr Yakovenko, official
spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said today in connection
with Oskanyan’s visit to Moscow on 5-7 July.
Yakovenko said that “Russia is ready to further the process of
settlement of the conflict and to guarantee an agreement acceptable to
both sides [Armenia and Azerbaijan]”. “The sides involved in the
conflict must find a compromise to resolve the problem themselves,” he
said.
During the talks the sides will focus “on issues of cooperation
between the countries within the framework of the CIS [Commonwealth of
Independent States], including the sphere of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Community, and
coordination of efforts by the two countries’ foreign ministries to
improve the situation in the Caucasus”. The issues of trade, economic,
cultural and humanitarian cooperation will be given priority.
“Moscow and Yerevan are resolute to take deliberate and necessary
steps to fight terrorism in all its manifestations on the bilateral
and multilateral basis,” Yakovenko said. “Effective practical
cooperation of law-enforcement agencies and security forces is making
political collaboration in the antiterrorism area stronger”.
Oskanyan’s visit “will give a fresh impetus to the Russian-Armenian
relationship, which has a firm legal basis,” Yakovenko said.
The programme for Oskanyan’s visit includes a meeting with Andrey
Kokoshin , chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Commonwealth of
Independent States and Relations with Compatriots.

Azeris ask Red Cross to help release captured soldier
ANS TV, Baku
2 Jul 04
The state commission of the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry for
POWs, hostages and missing persons has officially appealed to the Baku
office of the International Committee of the Red Cross to help release
Aydin Salman oglu Huseynov, a soldier of the national army, who was
captured by Armenians in Agdam District of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
front line on 30 June. The commission also asked the Red Cross to
register him as a prisoner of war.
Negotiations are under way with the Armenian side to get Huseynov
released.
To recap, Aydin Huseynov, 19, was serving in military unit No 161 in
the village of Erki of Agcabadi District.

Russia, Armenia join forces to catch money forgers
Centre TV, Moscow
2 Jul 04
[Presenter] The Russian and Armenian police have conducted a major
joint operation. Over two years the police tracked an international
gang of money forgers. As a result, 22 members of the well-organized
criminal organization have been arrested.
The underground printing press was found in an ordinary Moscow Region
flat. The forgeries were made by citizens of Russia and Armenia. They
had a well-organized network of middlemen through which the false
R1,000 and R500 notes were distributed across Russia.
In total, the initial investigation has recorded 192 instances of
forged money being sold in 48 Russian regions.
[C/r 1216-1253; video shows sheets of forged R500 notes, computer
equipment, banknotes being printed off.]

Armen Press
July 2, 2004
RAPID POVERTY MONITORING METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED BY UNDP ARMENIA
PRESENTED TO PARTNERS AND THE PUBLIC
YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS: On July 1 in the UN House, the United
Nations Development Program (UNDP) convened a discussion on the
National Human Development Survey (NHDS) and the Poverty Monitoring
Methodology (RPMM) used during the NHDS. Government officials, donors
and civil society experts focused on survey indicators, regional human
poverty indices and the National Social Monitoring System.
The NHDS was conducted in spring 2003 within the framework of a
joint UNDP and Government of Armenia project on the “Creation of a
Social Monitoring and Analysis System.” The survey covered 6,000
households in 170 rural and 41 urban communities, representatively
selected from all eleven regions of the country, including Yerevan. For
the first time, the survey was based on a Rapid Poverty Monitoring
Methodology developed by UNDP. The information collected during the
survey was disaggregated by region and population group and
incorporated into databases used to track human development, human
poverty and progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The
main findings of the NHDS are summarized in the fifth issue of Armenia
Social Trends, a bi-annual bilingual informational-analytical bulletin.
The results of the National Human Development Survey indicate that
human poverty is more widespread in rural areas, where people have
limited access to education, particularly pre-school and professional
education. People living in rural areas are also negatively affected by
reduced access to healthcare, particularly primary care, and to modern
information technologies.
According to Ms. Grande: “UNDP is confident that a better
understanding of human poverty in the regions will help the Government
and civil society to sharpen the country’s pro-poor policies, ensuring
that they are aimed at reaching the eight Millennium Development Goals
and supporting the Poverty Reduction Strategy.”
In the framework of the “Creation of a Social Monitoring and
Analysis System” project, a special training program in the Economics
Department of Yerevan State University on the theoretical and practical
aspects of databases was organized for the regional M&A units
established by the Government. In addition, seminars and workshops on
methodological and computerized analysis of data have been organized
for the 18 non-governmental organizations participating in the survey.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
July 1 2004
PACE SECRETARY GENERAL MEETS HEADS OF STANDING COMMISSIONS OF MILLI
MAJLIS
[July 01, 2004, 11:21:38]
Secretary General of PACE Mr. Bruno Haller met the heads of standing
commissions of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan Parliament) of Azerbaijan
Republic.
Opening the meeting, vice-speaker of Milli Majlis, head of the
standing commission on defense and security issues Ziyafet Askerov
noted that Azerbaijan is keen in integration to the European family,
European values, deepening of cooperation with the Council of Europe.
Our country, therefore, constantly fulfills the taken obligations,
Mr. Askerov emphasized.
He also noted the unsuccessful efforts of the OSCE MG, the major
mediator in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny
Karabakh conflict, the crucial problem for our people, on application
of double standards related to the sides-in-conflict, indifference of
the world community to the fact of ignorance by Armenia four UN SC
Resolutions, principles of international law, stressing that this
arouses concern in the Azerbaijan community. He noted that Azerbaijan
adheres peaceful settlement of the conflict. And it is high time to
make decisive steps. If the peaceful negotiations will not have any
success, Azerbaijan will try to release its occupied lands by any
means.
Speaking of the issues of cooperation, Mr. Bruno Haller noted:
`Structure of our parliaments are alike. And this opens opportunities
for further development of links. Cooperation of Azerbaijan
Parliament and PACE fives reason for satisfaction and we aspire to
development of the regional parliamentary ties. Parliamentary
dialogue plays a key role in inter-state relations’.
Mr. Bruno Haller stated that due to the election of Terry Davis as
Secretary General of the Council of Europe, in the region for
preparation of report on Nagorny Karabakh conflict is expected to
come a new reporter. He expressed confidence that this would be a
objective report reflecting the truth.
Also were attending the meeting the heads of the standing commissions
of Milli Majlis Asya Manafova, Eldar Ibrahimov, Sirus Tebrizli,
Shahlar Askerov. It was suggested to invite specialists of relevant
standing commissions to PACE, visit to the region of representatives
of PACE commission to exchange experience.

Azer News, Azerbaijan
July 1 2004
Azeri, Armenian FMs may next meet in Prague

The next meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers is
expected to be held late in August or early in September.
Yuri Merzlyakov, the Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, told
Regnum information agency that the meeting may take place in Prague.
Merzlyakov said that although the third meeting of the two foreign
ministers was constructive, no progress is in store at the current
stage of talks.
He noted that work on the agenda of the forthcoming gathering was
underway but declined to say if any concrete proposals would be
discussed during the meeting.

Azeri leader fails USA at NATO summit – daily
Yeni Musavat, Baku
30 Jun 04

Azerbaijan will continue its political integration into the
Euro-Atlantic bodies, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the
NATO summit in Istanbul yesterday, Turan news agency has reported.
He said that Baku intends to continue its cooperation with NATO’s
peacekeeping missions in all the hot spots of the world. Azerbaijan
itself has suffered a lot from terrorism – over 2,000 people have been
killed in 32 terrorist attacks – and is ready to support other
countries’ fight against global terrorism, Aliyev said.
[Passage omitted: Aliyev’s remarks on Armenia]
This speech by Ilham Aliyev can be considered yet another
disappointment for the USA. As we have repeatedly written, American
strategists expected that Aliyev would make an unambiguous statement
on NATO membership at the summit. True to form, however, Aliyev tried
to get away with some general and indefinite remarks.